The Nerd
by breatheinthemagic
Summary: College Days AU. Will works at the movie theater a few blocks away from campus. Emma's a comic book nerd who had her life pretty much planned out. He promised never to let her fall in love. She promised never to let another guy in. But when a sophomore year promise comes back to bite Will, can they ever fall together? T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**Eep! So, I've been meaning to write a fanfiction for a while now, but school and broken laptops kept stalling! As it's summer and I just got a new laptop, I believe it's the perfect time to start writing! So pretty please be gentle and review! :3**

He busily filled the buckets with popcorn, the oversized cups with slushies, and handed candy to dozens of people that night.

He hated working midnight shows.

While he made the most money out of them-he was lucky to work the midnight showing of _Iron Man_-but damn did they drain him out.

"Man, would you snap out of it? I need three large popcorns and some nachos!" his coworker called from across the concession stand.

Will quickly filled the order.

"I WAITED SEVEN MONTHS AND-" shouts from angry customers at both the box office and the concession stand.

The freaks always filed in. Why were people so attracted to these shows? And why come in costume?

He rolled his eyes as another grown (and masked) man spoke to himself.

The majority of freaks at the showing were men and a few nerds that Will recognized from the college campus.

But one of them...

"Hello? Excuse me, I _really_ need to get my large popcorn. Hello?" a red haired girl with large brown eyes hidden behind RayBans asked politely. She wore a vintage _Iron Man_ shirt.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry."

He filled the order and smiled as she paid.

"What?" she bit.

"Hm?"

"Have you never seen a girl come to these things?"

Will shook his head slowly.

"Hm. Well I'm Emma. Thanks for being so quick," she checked her phone and cursed under her breath. "Goodbye, Will."

Will smiled again as she walked away.

No customer had ever been so considerate as to read his name tag.

Will had once been like her-hell, he had the comics to prove it! Mint condition first issue of _Iron Man._-but he couldn't afford college _and_ Nerd Tuition.

~x~

He had begun working at the library for the volunteer program during the week, along with his theater job. Will's mom had just retired from being a math teacher for thirty years.

On his first day, he wore _his_ vintage _Iron Man_ shirt, his favorite black jeans, and his navy blue Converse.

He expected the nerds. A lot of them crawling and shuffling around like ants in Candyland.

He expected the blonde bimbos who were easy and let anyone who breathed bring them home. Nerds were easy pickups.

He expected the douchebags who walked around acting like they own the place so a few of the nerdy girls would fall for them, and the boys would simply crush them.

But he didn't expect the red head.

The red head girl wearing an old Hawkeye shirt with gray skinny jeans and ballet flats. Not only was she pretty, but she knew Hawkeye too? Why would she worry about comics at a time like this?

She looked up at Will wearing her RayBans from three months ago.

"Will Schuester? You're the guy from the theater!"

Will simply shrugged. He had to search somewhere deep in his head for her name. Ella? Anna? Damn.

"I'm Emma. Pillsbury. Maybe you don't remember me?"

"I do."

A moment of awkward silence cell between the two.

"Okay, well. I'm your trainer for now. It's a lot of work but it pays off. Come on, let me show you around."

Emma showed him around the library and taught him what to do as he caught on quickly.

"Well, Will. I have to say that you're a fast learner," she complimented. She looked at her phone. "Shit. I forgot that _Iron Man 2_ comes out today. I haven't got my tickets. Look I have to-"

"I'll take you. I get free tickets to it since I work there. I'll call in and save you a seat, okay?"

"You...you don't have to."

"Of course I do. As a thank you."

"For what?"

"The tour, I suppose."

Emma smiled.

"Okay. I'll meet you at the theater, then. Thank you very much, Will."

"No, thank you."

~x~

As he walked around his apartment, he simply thought.

He had never been one for "nerdy" girls. He never wanted to take advantage of a girl, as most guys did.

He was sure that most girls like Emma had become inferior as so many guys would break their hearts (but not always on purpose).

So Will vowed one thing.

He would not allow Emma to fall in love with him.

~x~

Ten o' clock rolled around, and Will had been doing his Trigonometry homework when someone knocked on his door.

He pulled it open to find his favorite nerd-did he just think that?-in his doorway. Wearing her _Iron Man_ shirt.

"Em! What are you doing here?" Will asked.

"I...I know this is weird. Look, my friends usually take me to the showings. But they all got accepted to this abroad program and so I'm alone for the first time."

"Would you like to come in?"

Emma shook her head.

"I came here to ask you to dinner," she muttered.

"Dinner? Like..."

"No. It's the tradition my friends and I had. To go to dinner before a midnight showing. Then we'd kind of just chill for a little in front of the theater. I know this is weird, but I'm asking-"

"To be a replacement."

Silence filled the doorway as he pondered her true intentions.

"Will you come or not?" she asked. "Because I have a usual table at the diner a few blocks away and-"

"Okay. Let me just...I have to...wait right here."

He grabbed his wallet and his coat and returned to Emma.

"Let's go."

~x~

"England. Oxford. That was the plan. I could've gone but..."

"But? Do tell me what held the wonderful Emma Pillsbury back," Will asked, his chin prodded on his elbow, the other holding his coffee mug.

"I don't know. I just...I love our campus as it is. The library and the professors and the people."

"The people?"

"Yeah. The people," Emma shrugged. She checked her iPhone for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. "It's ten-thirty."

"Oh, great. Come on," he smiled, standing. He moved to the counter. "Two hazelnuts to go."

The order was filled and they walked together to the theater where they waited outside with the rest of the fans.

~x~

As eleven thirty approached, they were asked to settle into their seats.

Emma was glowing, as she had been the night they met.

"Do you mind me asking something?" Will wondered, picking at a piece of popcorn.

"Is that what you're asking me?" she joked. "Sure."

"Why are you so interested in comics and superheroes and all of this anyway?" he asked finally.

"The real answer or the answer I tell everyone else?"

"Which ever you're comfortable with."

"It's a hobby."

"That's the real answer, is it?" Will chuckled.

"For now, yeah."

~x~

When they got out of the theater, Emma was exhausted.

"Em, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine. A little cold, though."

Will shrugged his jacket off and laid it upon Emma's shoulders.

"Thanks."

Will smiled as Emma grabbed his hand.

She pointed out her house and Will's jaw dropped.

"That's your house?" Will asked, nodding at the three story colonial in front of them. "I didn't know you lived with your parents."

Emma sighed.

"I don't," she whispered.

Will wrapped his arm around Emma's waist.

"Wanna tell me about it?" he asked as they approached the front porch.

"Maybe some other time. I'm happy right now."

Will laughed.

Emma unlocked the door.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked.

"I don't...we have class tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah. Right. Here's your," she tripped forward as she pulled her jacket off. He caught her. "Coat."

Will chuckled as he took his coat back.

"Thank you, Em. I had fun tonight."

"No, thank you. For taking me."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Will said, putting his coat back on.

She nodded.

"Tomorrow."

"Can...can I kiss you?"

"Yes."

He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips.

"G'night, Emma."

"G'night, Will," she whispered as he walked away.

Emma smiled to herself, watching as he looked back.

He smiled shyly, then walked away.

~x~

"Em! Wait up!" Will yelled as he saw her walking across the campus.

She turned around, and smiled when she saw him.

"Will, hi," Emma spoke softly.

"How was your night?" he asked.

"Good."

"I missed you," he offered.

"Mm."

She stopped walking.

"What?"

"This is my classroom," Emma laughed. "I'll see you later. At the library."

"Okay, bye."

~x~

{At lunch: with Russ, Will's best friend}

"I saw you talking to a nerd this morning. What was up with that?" Russ asked.

"She's a friend from the library."

"The library? Why are you at the library?"

"Does it matter? She's sweet. Her name's Emma."

Russ watched as Will took a bite of his hot dog.

"Is the sex good?" Russ asked.

"What?" Will blurted, almost choking on his sandwich.

"The sex. Is it any good?" he repeated.

"I wouldn't know. We never...never did."

Russ stared at Will.

"So you're falling for her."

"I'm really not."

Russ laughed bitterly.

"Dude, sophomore year, we made the vow. We made the promise that we weren't gonna fall in love. And you're doing it! Look, you wanna prove it to me, sleep with her tonight and never talk to her again."

Will had to think about it, but Russ was his best friend. He'd been Will's best friend since fourth grade. He couldn't let him down now...

"Okay, sure," Will sighed, standing up.

"Where are you going?" Russ asked.

"I'm going to go find Emma. And ask her on a date. So I can prove you wrong, okay? I'll see you tomorrow."

Will walked away with his hands in his coat pockets.

"Will? Will, hey!" a voice called, pulling on his sleeve.

He turned around to find the source of the words.

"Em! Hi," he whispered.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, suddenly more put-together than this morning.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Do you want to come over tonight?"

Emma smiled.

"Sure, of course."

"Great. Dinner and a movie, I'm thinking Superman?" he offered.

"That sounds great. I'm actually on my way to the diner...my next class is at three. Do you think you'd want to come?" she invited.

"Oh, sure. My next class is at two and it's noon. I'll drive."

~x~

"My brother died in a car accident three years ago," she explained over her sandwich. "And my dad left right after. They both loved superheroes and comics and...and I can't let go of the comic world right now. It's stupid, and my mom hates it because she doesn't think I can get a guy if I keep it up."

Will nodded, sipping his milkshake.

"But obviously, she was wrong. Because I have you, right?"

He smiled as she held his hand.

"I know it's stupid, but I love you," she blurted. He had failed miserably.

His phone rang, and Will answered.

"Hello? Oh, okay. Yes, I will. Okay. Russ, I know. It's fine. See you then. Bye."

He turned to Emma.

"I'll see you later, okay? Around seven. I'll make mac and cheese. Bring pajamas!" he said, kissing her on the forehead.

She was left alone in the diner with her sandwich and her confession hanging in the air.

~x~

Seven rolled around and Emma appeared in front of Will's door in her favorite gray sweatshirt and her polka dot pajama pants.

She knocked on his door and it all went downhill from there.

~x~

Emma woke up in Will's bed, naked. But he was gone. Long gone. 4 AM, and he wasn't in his own apartment.

With only a note next to her, she was officially kicked out of Will's life.

_Em,_

_I'm sorry about this. But I'm not the commitment kinda guy. We shouldn't talk anymore. G'bye._

_Will._

She sat up and collected her clothes and got up. And she walked home.

~x~

"It's done, okay? I slept with her," Will muttered to Russ in the middle of class.

"And you haven't talked?"

"No, not at all. See? I'm not in love with her, or anyone."

Russ nodded and remained silent until the class was dismissed.

"Hey, here she comes. Careful, now."

~x~

Will walked past Emma and was greeted swiftly with a sharp sting to his cheek.

"Emma, wait," he called out as she began to walk away.

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head, disgusted.

"Shut up, okay? I told you I loved you yesterday and you took advantage of me! I should have known that you would end up being just another popular kid," she scoffed.

"Em..."

"Just go away, Will! I never want to see you again."

He stood silent, realizing the mistake he'd made.

"Good-bye."

He turned his head slowly as she walked away.

~x~

**Thank you for reading! I plan on writing a second chapter just to finish it off, but I could also make it a little longer than two chapters so just tell me if I should! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is shorter than the first, sorry! Thank you to those who read and reviewed! I hope you like this chapter, it isn't the last quite yet. I just wanted to give you a glimpse of Emma' backstory, I suppose. **

~x~

"I guess I'm just done with it, Patty. Maybe he's right. It's time to just stop playing myself," Emma shrugged as they walked to her car.

"Em, we've been best friends since sixth grade. I know you don't let people go _that_ easily!" Patty replied.

"It's over, Patty," she spoke sternly to her best friend. "I'm over it."

As Emma slipped into the car, she pulled out of the driveway.

They drove in silence for a majority of the ride until they got to Emma's house, where Patty would be staying for the week while her boyfriend's parents were in town.

"His friend, Russ, I think. He looks like Kyle," Patty whispered, pulling her bag out of Emma's trunk.

Emma froze.

~x~

"_Kyle, why am I in your room?" Emma asked._

"_Because, baby sister. Your sixteenth birthday is coming up, and I want to give you something special," Kyle replied._

_Emma smiled, climbing on her brother's bed._

_She watched as her brother dug through his drawers._

_He pulled something out, smiling._

"_This is my first issue _Iron Man_. It's really important because it was grandpa's. It's a first edition, and in a few years, it'll be worth a lot. I wanna give it to you because Dad gave me his other one. And I would love to take you to Comic-Con in San Diego next year, okay? So read up!" he explained, placing the comic book in her hand._

"_Wow! Thanks, Kyle!"_

_Kyle had always been really protective of his comics—and his sister. He always wanted to be like the heroes in his comics, and now that he was twenty-three, and freshly out of college, he planned to. He was going to volunteer at the homeless shelter all summer, but he was also going to bring his baby sister to Comic-Con next year. Because she was his favorite person, and he knew he was hers. _

"_And not only that, Em! You're also allowed to ask me to read the comics after that one! But that one's yours. And you can only borrow them when you're done, and you have to be careful with them."_

_Emma stared up at her older brother, her eyes sparkling because she didn't just feel like Kyle's little sister. She felt much more important than that. _

_She opened the comic book and smiled._

_Kyle laughed as she spent the next few hours just reading next to him._

_They did that every night._

_Until the accident._

_That occurred two weeks later._

~x~

"Yeah, I guess he does," she whispered, unlocking the door to her house.

"Em, you want me to come up?" Patty asked.

"No, no. You know where the guest room is. I have to work on some papers," she called as she walked up the stairs and into her room.

She threw her backpack down and laid on her bed, staring at the comic books hung up along the wall. Her eyes stopped on the one that Kyle had given her on her sixteenth birthday.

She took a sharp breath and turned her eyes to the ceiling.

This was her childhood home. This was her bedroom from all those years. And she hadn't removed the glow-in-the-dark stars that shone over her head, because Kyle was the one who put them up when she was ten.

She turned over on her sheets.

It was true that they had only met a few months ago, but Emma was sure that the boy with the chin dimple was the one. But like her father, he had let her down.

She remembered how last night she was sure that her life was going to change. She just didn't realize it was going to change like this. She still wondered if there was ever going to actually be someone like Will—or who she thought Will was, rather. Life would be wonderful with her and a guy like that sleeping in the master bedroom, with their kids asleep in this room and the room next to it. And she would convert Kyle's old room into the comic room, just so that the kids wouldn't mess up the comics, which would be theirs eventually.

And then she realized in order to have a future like that, she needed to find someone who wouldn't hurt her like Will did. Who wouldn't break her. Who loved her.

She needed to think.

So she climbed up to the roof.

~x~

How could he possibly have done this?

He slammed his head into the couch's arm for what seemed like the millionth time this evening.

He couldn't sleep in his bed again. Not when he knew he had broken Emma's heart there.

He shouldn't have listened to Russ, he decided. Emma loved him, and he loved her. He just didn't realize it until it was too late.

And here he was, sleeping on the couch because he was so full of guilt. Not eating, because an ass like him didn't deserve to eat. He didn't speak because a douche like him didn't deserve to have a voice. He didn't move because a guy like him should die alone on his couch with no one loving him.

But he knew that he wouldn't die, and it made him a little sad. Maybe if he died, Emma would forgive him. He wished that Emma hadn't told him she loved him. He wished that he didn't love her so much.

A knock on his door, and he didn't move. He was just too guilty. Too guilty and there was no way to ever get rid of that.

And finally, the door opened.

"Will?"

He still remained still, facing the couch.

"Please tell me you aren't dead," the voice said.

"I'm not," he spoke, his voice raspy.

"Why aren't you facing me?"

"Because, Shannon. I don't deserve to breathe."

Shannon shook her head.

"William Schuester, you do not get to wallow in self-pity. If you want to feel sorry for yourself, go do it on Emma's doorstep," she said, pulling him off of the couch.

"She doesn't deserve an ass like me, Shannon. She doesn't want me anymore," he sighed.

"Because you were an ass, Will. Maybe you don't deserve her, but she's still hoping that you'll show up and fix it."

Will glared at Shannon.

"You know that she doesn't want to talk to me anymore. How would showing up at her house help?"

"Maybe because she isn't idiotic enough to leave her own home in order to run away from her problems, unlike someone else that I know. Oh, and you might want to stop by the flower shop and pick up some lilies," she suggested.

Will cocked his head, "How do you know she likes lilies?"

"I heard her talking about it yesterday. Just go, please."

~x~

Will stood on her doorstep, lilies in his hand. The bright yellow blended with the wonderful sunset.

He rang the doorbell.

A familiar face opened the door. Her name was Patty, she was in his World History class.

"Oh, Will. Hi," she said. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to talk to Emma."

"She's on the roof."


	3. Chapter 3

**So here's the last chapter! Thanks for everyone who read and reviewed, you guys made my week. **

Emma had been so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear the person coming up behind her.

"Em?"

She shuddered, hoping that her mind was playing a cruel joke on her. That maybe she'd fallen asleep and she was just having a nightmare.

"Em, are you okay?"

It was _his_ voice. She used to love his voice. Now she wanted to scream whenever she heard it.

She looked at her legs that were hanging over the edge of the roof.

"Em?" he repeated.

Maybe she could jump. Jump and escape this cruel life that she'd been living for far too long.

But then she would leave her mom all alone. She didn't deserve that. Nobody deserved to be alone, Emma decided. At least she had Patty.

"Emma, I just…I'm sorry."

She didn't reply, because she knows that if she turns around and looks into his once-friendly eyes, she'll melt and let him talk. She knows that if she sees his face, she'll fall all over again. And she knows that if she can watch his mouth say, "I'm sorry", she might just believe it.

"Emma," Will sighed, sitting next to her.

"We're not supposed to talk anymore. It's in the note."

"What note?" he asked idiotically. When he realized what she meant, he simply said, "Oh."

"Oh, right."

"Emma, I love you."

She shook her head.

"You can't do that to me, you can't. You can't tell me you don't want to talk to me and then hunt me down. You can't tell me you're a not a commitment kind of guy and then tell me you love me. You can't keep changing your mind," Emma whispered.

She flinched slightly as Will placed his hand over hers.

"You know, I could call the police and tell them you were assaulting me. They'll believe any college aged girl. And my dad was a cop and they all knew him, so you'd lose in court," she threatened.

That was enough to get Will to retract his hand.

"Anyway, I brought you these," he offered the lilies to her, almost as a peace treaty.

She took the yellow flowers in her hand and simply stared at them.

"Why lilies?" she asked softly.

"A friend told me you liked them."

She sighed, putting the lilies next to her.

"I hate lilies," she whimpered.

"What? Why? Shannon heard you saying that—"

"In psychology? I was telling Patty about how I needed to buy lilies to put on Kyle's grave," she choked. "His anniversary is in a few days."

"Oh, Em. I'm sorry."

She turned to him out of frustration, standing up.

"Stop apologizing, Will! I'm sick of hearing you say you're sorry when you know it won't fix a thing. Why did you come out tonight anyway? Have something _else_ to prove to your friends?"

For someone who had once been better-than-okay with words, Will found himself speechless.

"Yeah, see. That's what I thought. I appreciate what you're trying to do with the lilies, but that doesn't make up for the fact that you led me on. I should have known better than to put faith in a guy. They've all just let me down so far!" she screamed, her eyes filling with tears.

"Emma…" he whispered, stepping closer to her.

"I can't believe you would do that to me, Will. I love you so much, and you know that. How could you be such an ass?" she continued to scream.

He pulled her into his arms, even though she was still screaming.

"Why? Why would you be such an ass? I know that you're another popular kid, but why me? Why did you have to play me?" she asked, her voice softening into sobs. "Why me?"

Will stroked her hair in order to calm her down as she cried into his shoulder.

"Emma, I really am sorry," he spoke in a hushed tone. "So, so sorry. About Kyle, about everything."

Her body went limp as she held onto him tight.

"I hate you so much. I hate everything about you, Will," she sighed, shaking her head. She steadied herself so she didn't have to depend on him. "But see, my problem is, I can't not love you."

His eyes lit up as much as they could in the darkness.

"I can't not love you too," Will said happily, reaching for her hand.

"That _isn't_ what I meant!" she argued, taking a step back. "I can't not love you, sure. But that doesn't mean that I forgive you, Will. What you did was terrible."

Will took a deep breath and nodded.

"You do know that I'm sorry, right?"

She nodded slowly.

"It's just, I don't get it. It seemed like we had something so good going on. I even told you about Kyle and my dad, Will. Only five people know about that, including my dad, who might not even be alive anymore. I need to know _why_."

He laid down on the roof which was lined with fallen leaves, since October had trees shedding.

"I'm an idiot," he said plainly.

She stared at him and then laid down next to him.

"I know you are."

"Russ Peters has been my best friend since fourth grade, Emma. I came from Illinois with him knowing that someone would always have my back. But the problem with Russ is that he's been a ladies' man since freshman year of high school. He made me vow to never fall in love until we got out of college, and he was pissed off that I had fallen in love with you. So he asked me to prove to him that we weren't going to last, and I did. But I left my apartment yesterday morning, and all I wanted to do was get coffee and walk back inside, take the note away, strip down to my boxers and spend the whole day with you."

"How do I know that this really isn't another one of your games?" Emma asked.

He took his hand in hers.

"Because this time, I don't want to play with you. I want to have to choose you over Russ. I want it to be real. Completely honest and real, Em."

"So now what," Emma asked, scooting over so she was in his arms. "I hate you, and yet I can't live without you. So now what?"

"What if we just start over?" Will wondered, staring up at the star that had just appeared in the sky.

"Yeah, okay. Let's do that."

He turned his head to face her.

"I'm Will Schuester."

"Hi Will, I'm Emma Pillsbury."

"Emma. That's a pretty name. Do you think you'd like to be the Potts to my Stark?" he questioned.

She laughed, nodding.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that."

~x~

**I hope that wasn't too anti-climactic for anyone, I just wanted to wrap up the story. Thank you again!**


End file.
